House model



Sept. 17, 1940. v F. BOLHUIS 2,214,987

HOUSE MODEL Filed Feb. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Rank .BollzuiJ yqqxmaiwa $73!;

17, 1940. BQLHUIS 2,214,987

HOUSE MODEL Filed Feb. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet Rania Bo llzu ia PatentedSept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates to house models,

and more particularly to structures adapted for a use by architects,contractors, or lumber companies for demonstration and selling purposes.

5 This application is a continuation in part of my copending applicationSerial No. 190,385, filed February 14, 1938; and also relates generallyto the subject matter of my Patent No. 2,118,338, issued May 24, 1938.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide such a housemodel having an improved frame for the reception and retention ofinterchangeable floor plan panels and wall panels, said frame beingextensible in length and breadth; to provide improved frame elementswhich are so constructed that they are readily adaptable for assemblyinto a rectangular frame or into a frame of irregular configurationdepending upon the character of the house to be portrayed; to provideimproved means whereby realistic representations of windows and doorsmay be provided in the wall panels; and, to provide such a structurewhose constituent parts are of simple and economical 25 construction andof especial adaptability for their intended use.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a house model, theparticular modelthere illustrated being of extremely simple design and being but oneexample from a great variety of such models which might be built uponthe same frame;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of .the house 35 modelillustrated inFigure 1, the roof. and certain wall panels being omitted to disclosethe skeleton frame of ,the structure;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of a corner portion of theskeleton frame per se;

Figure 4 is a top plan view thereof and showing wall panels associatedtherewith;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a top plan View similar to Figure 4 but showing a recessedcorner;

Figure '7 is a side elevational View of a corner portion of a two-storyskeleton frame;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view on lines 8-8 of Figures 1 and 9;and 50 Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view on lines 9-9 of Figures 1and'8.

Referring then to these drawings in which like numerals designate likeparts in the several views, the house model illustrated in Figures 1 and2 comprises a skeleton frame generally designated ill, a floor planpanel H, a front wall panel I2, a rear wall panel l3, and end wallpanels l4 having upwardly inwardy tapered por- 'tions 15 supporting aremovable roof it. As shown in Figure 1, the front wall panel i2 is 5provided with a portal ll secured thereto in any suitable manner as byglue or brads, and a gable I8 is removably disposed on the portal Illand roof l6.

The skeleton frame ii] is supported at the cor- 10 ners thereof byvertically disposed corner posts 19 each of which comprises a pair ofcorner rails 20 having medial portions 2| secured together as by spotwelding. Parallel flanged portions 22 of each corner rail 20 form alongitudinal panel 15 receiving slot 23 therebetween, the oppositelydisposed slots of adjacent corner posts 59 being adapted to receive andretain the opposite ends of a wall panel l2, it or M bearing thereon arepresentation of the wall of a house.

Frame corner members 24 comprise web portions and outer side flanges 25which laterally depend from said web portions and which are secured asby spot welding to the angularly meeting inner surfaces of the cornerports I9 25 adjacent the upper and lower ends of these posts 19. Theseveral lower corner members 24 form a support for the floor panel IIremovably disposed thereupon and bearing on its upper surface the floorplan of a house.

The frame corner members 24 are each further provided with a pair ofinner side flanges 26 laterally depending from the web portions andwhose inner side surfaces are disposed at right angles to each other,and a sleeve 27 pro- 35 jects laterally from each flange 26 and issecured thereto as by passing the reduced end portion 28 of the sleevethrough an aperture in the flange and riveting over the extreme end ofthe sleeve.

Rods 29 forming the side rails of the skeleton frame have their oppositeends slidably fitted in the sleeves 2! of the frame corner members 24secured to adjacent corner posts l9, and set screws 30 threaded in thesleeves 21 provide means for securing the rods in adjusted positionsrelative to the sleeves. By this arrangement the skeleton frame isrendered extensible in length and breadth to accommodate floor planpanels of different sizes and shapes and wall panels of differentwidths.

Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which a recessed corner may be builtinto the structure.

A bent rod 29 is here shown connecting the adjacent sleeves 21 ofsimilarly disposed frame cor- 56 ner members 24, and a wall panel 3i isreceived and retained in the slots of corner posts l9 and comprises twosections 32 and 33 secured together at right angles as by brads 3Q.

It will readily be seen that by the use of rods 29 of different lengthsand rods 29 likewise of different lengths and bent at any desiredangles, the structure is adaptable for portraying houses of virtuallyany configuration.

In portraying a two story structure, longer corner posts i9 are employedas illustrated in Figure 7, and the wall panels used bearrepresentations of the walls of a two story structure. If desired, framecorner members 2 3 having outer side flanges 25 and inner side flanges26 of identical construction as the frame corner members 25, may besecured to the corner posts I9 intermediate the ends thereof, and asecond fioor plan panel H may be removably disposed on and supported bysaid corner members 24 It will further be seen that the number ofstories in the structure may be increased by using still longer cornerposts, appropriate wall panels, and a greater number of floor planpanels and supporting frame corner members therefor.

Figures 1, 8 and 9 illustrate improved means for realisticallyrepresenting windows in the various wall panels. A preferably stampedsheet metal frame generally designated 345a comprises a sill portion 35,side casing portions 36, a head casing portion 3?, side J'amb portions38 having vertical grooves 39 therein for the reception of a glass plate10 bearing thereon a painted or otherwise applied representation of adivided window, and springable side flanges 4! adapted to bear againstthe sides 32 of a rectangular opening 43 in a wall panel I2 to thusremovably secure the frame within said opening. Similar frames areprovided for the door openings which extend to the floor panels, theplates 40 in such door frames bearing the representation of a door.

It will be seen that the representations of windows and doors in theselected wall panels conform to the indications of Windows and doors onthe selected floor plan, so that upon removal of the roof I6,prospective builders may readily form a mental picture of the interiorof a proposed house simulated by the house model.

It will further be seen that the various parts of the structure may beinterchanged, rearranged, substituted for by similar parts, or added towith similar parts to form a great variety of house models to aidprospective builders in the selection of a home. Moreover, the variousparts are ruggedly and reasonably economically constructed, may beconveniently assembled, and are particularly well adapted for theirintended use.

While but several specific embodiments of the invention have been hereinshown and described,

it will be understood that certain details of the constructions shownmay be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of thisinvention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprisinga plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a frame corner memberhaving a horizontal web portion and a pair of inner side flangesdepending from said web portion and disposed at an angle to each other,and means secured to and projecting laterally from each inner sideflange adapted to slidably embrace a side rail of the skeleton frame.

2. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprisinga plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a frame corner memberhaving a horizontal web portion and a pair of inner side flangesdepending from said web portion and disposed at right angles to eachother, and

'means secured to and projecting laterally from each inner side flangeadapted to slidably embrace a side rail of the skeleton frame.

3. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprisinga plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a frame corner memberhaving a horizontal web portion and a pair of inner side flangesdepending from said Web portion and disposed at an angle to each other,and a sleeve secured to and projecting laterally from each inner sideflange adapted to slidably em- Ibrace a rod forming a side rail bf theskeleton frame.

4. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprisinga plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a frame corner memberhaving a horizontal web portionand a pair of inner side flangesdepending from said web portion and disposed at an angle to each other,a sleeve secured to and projecting laterally from each inner side flangeadapted to slidably embrace a rod forming a side rail of the skeletonframe, and a set screw threaded in each sleeve and adapted to secure therod in'adiusted position relative to the sleeve.

5. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprisinga plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a vertically disposedcorner post having angularly disposed inner surfaces, a plurality ofvertically spaced frame corner members each having a horizontal webportion and a pair of outer side flanges depending from said web portionand secured to the inner surfaces respectively of said corner post, andmeans secured to some of said frame corner members adapted to slidablyembrace a side rail of theskeleton frame.

FRANK BOLHUIS.

